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Introduction of Plagiarism

The document discusses plagiarism, including what it is, forms it can take, reasons why students plagiarize, why it is wrong, and how the university regards it. It also provides tips on avoiding plagiarism and lists helpful resources.

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Iqbal Haziq
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397 views22 pages

Introduction of Plagiarism

The document discusses plagiarism, including what it is, forms it can take, reasons why students plagiarize, why it is wrong, and how the university regards it. It also provides tips on avoiding plagiarism and lists helpful resources.

Uploaded by

Iqbal Haziq
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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AN INTRODUCTION

TO PLAGIARISM

Timothy Peters
Director of Information Services
Central Michigan University Libraries
WHAT IS PLAGIARISM?
Plagiarism is the act of presenting the work of another as
your own. If you use the work of someone else and
either knowingly or inadvertently claim it as your own
creation you are committing an act of plagiarism.
WHAT FORMS CAN PLAGIARISM TAKE?
 Word-for-word copying of another’s work without
properly acknowledging the source of the information
 Paraphrasing the work of another without
acknowledgement
 Failing to properly cite your source, even if that failure is
inadvertent
 Attributing information to a source from which it did not
come
 Submitting material created by another under your
name
 Submitting material created by yourself and others but
claiming the work entirely as your own
WHY STUDENTS PLAGIARIZE
 Not enough time to complete the assignment
(procrastination, poor time management skills, or a busy
schedule outside of school can all contribute to this)
 Laziness
 Lack of fundamental research skills (be aware that some
plagiarism is inadvertent)
 Careless research methods (e.g. failing to document
sources used during the research process)
 A fear that one’s own academic abilities are not
adequate, leading one to seek a superior product
WHY STUDENTS PLAGIARIZE
 Perceived pressure from external forces (parents,
friends, scholarship committees, etc.) to maintain high
grades
 Cultural differences. In many non-Western societies, the
idea of “owning” text or material is perplexing
 Because cheating is perceived as acceptable in today’s
society, as a way to ‘get ahead’
 A perceived lack of punishment by the instructor or the
institution
 Because it’s easy to do
WHY IS IT WRONG?
Plagiarism is a form of theft. According to United States
copyright law, the legal copyright owner has the
exclusive right to reproduce, distribute, display, perform,
and make derivative copies of the work. Using the
copyrighted material of another person without first
obtaining permission to do so or without properly
identifying your source is essentially stealing someone
else's property.
HOW DOES CENTRAL MICHIGAN
UNIVERSITY REGARD PLAGIARISM?
Plagiarism is considered a violation of CMU’s
Policy on Academic Integrity and alleged violations of
this policy will be handled in accordance with the
guidelines outlined in the Policy. See section 2.B. of the
Policy for more information.
QUIZ TIME!

Determine whether or not the following are examples of


plagiarism.
EXAMPLE #1
SOURCE USED:
The wind erosion problem of the southern Great Plains did not occur because
farmers grew too much wheat, but because the drought prevented them from
growing hardly any wheat at all from 1932 to 1940. During years of normal
precipitation, the excessive root system of the wheat plants held the soil and
offered excellent protection against wind erosion. In the droughty Thirties,
however, the inadequate moisture supply prevented a suitable growth of
ground cover in the early Spring “blow season” of February, March, and April.
The drought then began a chain of events, the first of which was crop failure.
 
STUDENT PAPER:
"The wind erosion problem of the southern Great Plains did not occur because
farmers grew too much wheat, but because the drought prevented them from
growing hardly any wheat at all from 1932 to 1940” (Hurt, 1981, p. 29-30).

APA reference:
Hurt, R. D. (1981). The dust bowl: An agricultural and social history. Chicago: Nelson-
Hall.
ANSWER #1
No, it is not.

Since the quoted material is enclosed in quotation marks


and because the source is cited correctly and completely,
this is not an incident of plagiarism.
EXAMPLE #2
SOURCE USED:
The wind erosion problem of the southern Great Plains did not occur because
farmers grew too much wheat, but because the drought prevented them from
growing hardly any wheat at all from 1932 to 1940. During years of normal
precipitation, the excessive root system of the wheat plants held the soil and
offered excellent protection against wind erosion. In the droughty Thirties,
however, the inadequate moisture supply prevented a suitable growth of
ground cover in the early Spring “blow season” of February, March, and April.
The drought then began a chain of events, the first of which was crop failure.
 
STUDENT PAPER:
The wind erosion problem of the southern Great Plains did not occur because
farmers grew too much wheat, but because the drought prevented them from
growing hardly any wheat at all from 1932 to 1940 (Hurt, 1981, p. 29-30).

APA reference:
Hurt, R. D. (1981). The dust bowl: An agricultural and social history. Chicago: Nelson-
Hall.
ANSWER #2
Yes, it is.

The text from the source is quoted verbatim but it is not


enclosed in quotation marks. A direct quotation of an
author's words must be enclosed in quotation marks.
EXAMPLE #3
SOURCE USED:
The wind erosion problem of the southern Great Plains did not occur because
farmers grew too much wheat, but because the drought prevented them from
growing hardly any wheat at all from 1932 to 1940. During years of normal
precipitation, the excessive root system of the wheat plants held the soil and
offered excellent protection against wind erosion. In the droughty Thirties,
however, the inadequate moisture supply prevented a suitable growth of
ground cover in the early Spring “blow season” of February, March, and April.
The drought then began a chain of events, the first of which was crop failure.
 

STUDENT PAPER:
The wind erosion problem of the Great Plains occurred because the drought
prevented farmers from growing hardly any wheat from 1932 to 1940.
Normally, the excessive root system of the wheat plants held the soil and
offered excellent protection against wind erosion, but in the Thirties, the
inadequate moisture supply prevented a suitable growth of ground cover.

APA reference:
None
ANSWER #3
Yes, this is plagiarism.

The student has paraphrased the author’s words, but has


not cited the author as the source of the information.
EXAMPLE #4
SOURCE USED:
The wind erosion problem of the southern Great Plains did not occur because
farmers grew too much wheat, but because the drought prevented them from
growing hardly any wheat at all from 1932 to 1940. During years of normal
precipitation, the excessive root system of the wheat plants held the soil and
offered excellent protection against wind erosion. In the droughty Thirties,
however, the inadequate moisture supply prevented a suitable growth of
ground cover in the early Spring “blow season” of February, March, and April.
The drought then began a chain of events, the first of which was crop failure.
 
STUDENT PAPER:
During years of normal precipitation, the excessive root system of the wheat
plant helps to hold the soil in place and lessens wind erosion. During the
1930s, however, drought prevented farmers from growing almost any wheat
at all, and this prevented the growth of necessary ground cover. This crop
failure was the first in a chain of events that resulted in the Dust Bowl (Hurt,
1981, p. 29-30).

APA reference:
Hurt, R. D. (1981). The dust bowl: An agricultural and social history. Chicago: Nelson-
Hall.
ANSWER #4
No, this is not plagiarism.

The author’s words and ideas have been paraphrased, but


credit has been correctly given to the author.
EXAMPLE #5
In her paper, a student mentions that George Washington
was the first President of the United States. Does this
source of this fact need to be cited?
ANSWER #5
No.

Since this fact is common knowledge to all, citation is not


necessary.
EXAMPLE #6
In your paper, you mention the fact that one of
Washington’s first concerns as President was paying off
foreign and domestic debt as a way to reestablish the
nation’s credit. Do you need to cite your source if you
use this fact?
ANSWER #6
Yes, you do.

This fact is very specific and cannot be considered


common knowledge, so it must be cited. As such, it
should be stated here that this information was
paraphrased from the following source:

APA reference: Washington, George. In Family encyclopedia of American history (pp. 1206-
1209). (1975). Pleasantville, NY: Reader’s Digest Association.
TIPS ON AVOIDING PLAGIARISM

 Familiarize yourself with the basics of the research


writing process, including the citing of sources
 Make note of all the sources you consult during the
research process
 Remember that paraphrasing the ideas of another still
requires proper citation
 Properly cite the sources you use in your paper
 Proofread the final version of your paper to ensure that
all the sources you used are cited correctly
 If unsure whether to cite a source or how to cite it
properly, ask your instructor
HELPFUL RESOURCES
CMU Writing Center:
http://www.chsbs.cmich.edu/writing_center/

The Online Writing Lab at Purdue University:


http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/589/01/

Citing Sources and Avoiding Plagiarism (from The Duke


University Libraries):
http://library.duke.edu/research/plagiarism/

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